The AU Sequence 2: Anarchy
by Original Blue
Summary: Sakura has moved to Iwa with Uchiha Itachi, and she's still not sure if he's helping to keep her together or just breaking her further.
1. Chapter 1

Anarchy: a society in which there is no rulership or enforced authority.

_Iwa._

Yamanaka Ino sat in her room, glaring at her phone.

_Iwa. Why in hell did she go to Iwa? That idiot! Does she know anyone there? How will she live? Who will she borrow clothes from?_

The irritable blonde girl started pacing, remembering the hurried conversation she'd had with as he explained that Haruno Sakura had checked herself out.

"_There's nothing I could do," the head of KonoHos said, "Her vital signs were good and she looked perfectly normal."_

_Ino had snapped that only her friends would have been able to tell, and he should have called somebody. Sarutobi was getting ready to tell her off when Konohamaru had come skidding around the corner, spilling a bucket of paint as he went. Ino had made her hasty exit then, using the fire escape._

"Ino, could you come down here?" Ino's mom, Yamanaka Mari, called to her daughter from the kitchen.

"Just a second, mom!" she yelled back, pulling on her shoes and straightening her hair.

When she walked into the kitchen, her mom held out an apron. "Honey, I need you to take the next shift in the shop, okay? It's really important that I arrange these petunias by tonight, for a business party."

Her daughter let out a sigh. "Do I have to wear this?" Her mother nodded, still not looking up from her task. Ino pouted, but put on the apron, her mind still wandering to where Sakura was, in Iwa with Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

When Sakura had gotten out of the hospital, Itachi had stopped by at her house, so she could pick up her luggage. Then they'd gone to the station, neither speaking, and gotten tickets for the next train to Iwa.

Eight hours later, they stepped out into Iwa common, where the sun had just set beyond the mountains.

"Itachi! Sakura! I thought you guys would never get here, un!" The enthusiastic blonde waved to them from across the street as he shouted. As soon as the light changed, Deidara rushed up to meet them, Kisame following more slowly behind.

The short teenager hugged them each in turn, ignoring the glares from Itachi. "I made sure everything's the way you like it, Itachi. And Sakura, I hope you like Iwa!"

She nodded. Since that conversation with Gaara in the hospital, she hadn't spoken to anyone. Privately, she hoped they'd never make her speak again, in case evil came spilling from her lips once more. She turned to pick up her bags, only to find that Kisame had already lifted them over his shoulders and started to leave.

Itachi raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded, following Deidara back to their car.

Once Sakura got into the gray car, she opened the window, desperate for space.

As if in response, the city buzzed past, wind brushing her cheeks and whipping through her pink hair. It was nice, to be able to breathe without that searing pain in her lungs. The relatively clean air of Konoha was nothing to this. The soaring mountains they were heading towards seemed to be a natural barrier against pollution, and their surroundings looked lush with health.

"Let's turn on some music, un!"

Deidara flipped on the radio and started singing along until Kisame flicked his ear. "What was that for, un?" He rubbed the afflicted spot. The tall boy grinned. "It's my car, so I get to choose the station." Without looking around, he said, "Is there something you guys want on?"

Sakura blinked her pale lashes slowly, and Itachi nodded. "Jazz, Kisame. It's always on the third station." The blue boy flicked slowly through the dials until they reached one that was suitable.

While the slow beat filled the car, Sakura wondered how Itachi had known. _Is he like me?_ she wondered, _Does he know what I need better than I do?_

_**HE'S A CREEP. DON'T TRUST HIM. I DON'T CARE HOW NICE HE'S BEING, HE'S A KILLER! THEY ALL ARE! THOSE STRONG HANDS, CALLUSED KNUCKLES... YOU KNOW THEY'RE AKATSUKI MEMBERS!**_

Whatever the reason, he wasn't about to kill her. _Would I be so mad if he did?_ she mused, not even noticing as they pulled off the highway and onto a smaller road. _It might be a gesture of goodwill, coming from him._

_**OH, SHUT UP, IDIOT. NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU'LL BE TRADING STYLE TIPS WITH DEIDARA, UN.**_

* * *

The house was beautiful. After dinner, which was incidentally very quiet, Sakura slipped off to explore the house. She had to wander to take it all in, to relish the gorgeous colors. The back patio offered a cool breeze and some light, which still spilled from behind the mountains. It was a three story house, built into the cliff side, with a swimming pool and an incredible view. She slowly breathed in and out, seeing the reddish hues and gray undertones that had created such a work of art.

"It was Deidara's idea, you know."

She spun around, and found Itachi standing in the doorway. He gestured towards their surroundings. "The colors, I mean. He's a great artist, when he can get his mind out of the clouds." She smiled slightly at him, and went to sit on the edge of the porch steps.

The Uchiha heir leaned against a wall and looked out over the sprawling suburbs of Iwa. "It's really beautiful," he said, almost agreeing with himself. "I almost wish I could live here forever."

Sakura silently agreed. Itachi reached into a pocket in his jeans and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He lit one. "Want one?" he asked, between drags.

_Does it matter anymore?_

She nodded, accepting it and waiting for him to light the end. Slightly hesitant, she put it to her lips and sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the smoke enter her lungs. Her first instinct was to choke, but she ignored it, breathing out slowly and letting her mind explore the swirling shapes.

_**ARE YOU NUTS? SMOKING KILLS, NOT TO MENTION THAT YOU'RE PRACTICALLY BREATHING IN FIRE.**_

_I don't care,_ Sakura thought briefly and sourly, _Not anymore._ Her eyes went dark, reflecting the glimmering stars, weeping in their solitude.

Together, they watched the world slowly sinking into shadows as they exhaled smoke into chilly air.

* * *

The weeks passed with a comforting monotony. Every morning, Itachi left at six, at which point Sakura would get up and have breakfast. Then she rode the bus into downtown Iwa, where she had a job as a secretary, with one of Itachi's friends, Pein Konan. In the past month, her new friends had slowly coaxed words out of her, and a pleasant conversation wasn't unwelcome.

"So how did you meet him?" Sakura asked one day, after work as they sat drinking in an Iwa suburb. In the past month, her new friends had slowly coaxed words out of her. The bartender slid a beer down the counter and she caught it, taking a slow sip.

The blue haired girl blushed faintly, fiddling with her piercings. "Pein? We, um..." Konan bit her lip ring. "We were in the same orphanage, and um... Jiriaya raised us. We grew up together."

Sakura's eyebrows shot up. "He wasn't the chief of police then," Konan explained, "But he volunteered when he could. Eventually he adopted us. We lived with him until we were fifteen." She took a gulp of her martini. "Then there was a fight. Jiraiya arrested one of Pein's friends, and he got mad, saying that the police were corrupt. The idiot said he was going to move out, since he couldn't stand the way he was bossed around." She sighed, her eyes dark with memories. "Even though Jiraiya was like an uncle to us, I had to follow Pein," she said quietly, eyes on the counter.

Sakura's expression was apologetic. "Sorry I asked," she said, making Konan smile. "No, it's okay."

The pink haired girl took another sip, savoring the burning feeling that made her stomach feel warm. "Is there something between you guys?" she said, slightly tipsy, "Itachi didn't say anything, but, um–"

Konan laughed, her indigo lined eyelids fluttering. "It's okay. People have said it before, so I just kind of ignore it. It always seems so silly to me, since I know him better than almost anyone." She giggled and Sakura got the idea that being drunk wasn't helping her judgment. "I've been on and off with Hidan for a few months. It's too bad he didn't come with us to Iwa; but how did you meet Itachi?"

For a moment, Sakura stilled, surprised at the abrupt change in subject, but even a drunk Konan deserved to know the truth.

She told the older woman nearly everything. "I'd only ever heard about him because I knew his brother. Itachi found me when I was really screwed up, and took me to the hospital. I got this really weird feeling from him," she explained, "Like he knew why I was so hurt."

Konan nodded, taking another sip and sighing. "People get that a lot."

They finished their drinks and took the bus back; Sakura had to remind Konan to get off, since her friend was smashed.

_**LIGHT LIQUOR MY FOOT,**_ Inner Sakura said. _**YOU COULD USE THAT STUFF AS BALLAST.**_

* * *

Konan got off the bus and trudged home, barely lucid. The chill rolling in off the ocean wasn't helping, but she managed to climb her stairs without breaking an ankle.

When she opened the door to her apartment, she wasn't surprised to find Pein sitting on the couch; the alcohol in her system didn't leave much room for anything. She unbuttoned her grey coat and hung it behind the door, taking her cerulean hair out of its ponytail.

"Something for you?" she said, getting some ice tea out of the fridge. He was as cool as ever, dressed in a business suit, jacket folded over one arm. She felt slightly messy in her dusty grey skirt and navy t–shirt that fell past her shoulders. She pulled off her blue pumps, placing them neatly by her bedroom door before returning to the living room.

He cleared his throat and she tried to focus on him. "What is it?" she asked again, taking deep chugs of her cold drink. She gave up trying to concentrate and pulled some popcorn out of the fridge. Her vision was as slurred as her speech, and she couldn't figure out why there were three Peins sitting next to her.

After a second, Konan giggled and stretched, not realizing how close she was to Pein. "You're drunk, aren't you." His monotone made argument impossible, so she just nodded, eyes heavily lidded.

_He's so funny,_ she thought sluggishly, smiling up at him. "I like you, Pein," she said, yawning deeply and stretching her legs out across the couch. That she was also stretching across Pein completely slipped her mind, and she settled back on her pillows. "I like that you want to change the world, and that you're really determined, and that you..." she yawned again, "that you look out for your family."

The orange haired man went still, looking at her. She was lazing practically across his lap, and a smile was floating over her blue lips. _My paper angel,_ he thought, _with a paper heart to match._

Through the alcohol induced haze, Konan found herself reaching a hand to Pein's face, brushing her thumb over his lip piercings. He reached up to pull her hand away, but suddenly she had her other hand behind his head and was _pulling him forwards._

Pein raised his eyebrows and tried to point out that she was dating Hidan when suddenly he could feel her breath on his lips.

"I really like you, Pein," her whispered voice was layered with warmth, and sleep, and the overwhelming sensation that she knew his weak points.

_Well, shit,_ he thought, and pulled into a kiss. His arms settled on her hips, which were suddenly right on top of his, and he felt her unbuckle his belt. For once, Pein felt defeated, but not like he had been beaten. And as he felt Konan's cool nails raising goosebumps over his bare chest, he knew that losing the occasional battle would help him win the war.


	2. Chapter 2

When Haruno Sakura went in for work the next morning, clutching coffee for her coworkers, she passed Konan's desk without a second thought.

Only when she had handed a cappuccino to Kakuzu and avoided one of Sasori's misplaced gropes, did she look at her coworker. She smirked at the back of Konan's bright blue head before coughing slightly.

Konan turned around, a smile lighting her face. "Good morning, Sakura," she said sliding some papers out of her inbox and sorting them appropriately.

The Konoha girl crossed her arms over her chest, grinning. "Someone got laid," she commented, and Konan bit her lip, trying not to start giggling. Sakura sat down and hung her coat over the back of her chair, firing up her computer. She could feel her coworker about to explode, and finally relented. "So?"

Konan's smile was anything but secretive. "Fucking amazing!" She said, trying to keep her voice low, "I swear to god I'm never going back to Hidan again!"

Once the blue haired woman had spouted every detail she could muster, they went back to their work, the atmosphere practically shining.

Sakura got some notion of her friend's joy when she saw her boss walking around, a strange light in his eyes. Pein blushed when he saw Konan, and making Pein Yahiko blush was no small task. She would have to ask her coworker for tips, if she could make one of the most feared gang leaders in Konoha beg like a puppy.

_**WHO WOULD YOU USE IT ON?**_ Inner Sakura wondered, having been practically chained to a wall since an inappropriate dinner remark.

Sakura just smiled.

_I'll find someone._

* * *

The club they were in was not only expensive, it was slightly swanky. From what Sakura could tell, each and every one of the Iwa Akatsuki was here, and one of them was dancing with her. What had possessed Itachi to ask her to dance was beyond her, but she liked it.

_A weekend is good for this sort of thing,_ Sakura thought vaguely as she felt the Uchiha's heavy presence just behind her. _I don't have to work tomorrow._

The sickly, throbbing beat wasn't her norm, but it felt good. She was tired of thinking. She was tired of hurting. She was tired of waking up screaming.

She moved, losing herself in the beer and the music, wanting to never wake up.

At around three in the morning, Sakura got her hands on a pack of cigarettes and started smoking them, as fast as she could. Her fake I.D. came in handy, made by a friend in Konoha who went to private school.

The alcohol she consumed only helped as she found herself drowning in a hypnotic noise. She felt it reeking from her body, oozing out of her pores, as she screamed along with that suffocating music.

When Itachi found her, her whole head was swimming, and she barely even noticed when he pushed her up against a wall in the back of the club. "What?" she asked, her voice slurred, eyes narrowed as she tried desperately to forget his younger brother... the people she'd left behind... oh god...

Seeing the tears streaming down her face, over her defiant expression, to form a pool at the base of her neck, he frowned.

They stared at one another, eyes dark with alcohol and lust and anger shoved together in hopes of making peace. Then Itachi couldn't take it anymore, and he pinned her arms above her head, letting his lips brush her neck.

Sakura sensed his body against her own, and could feel her sweat dripping in lines over her pale skin. The red miniskirt, which she had borrowed from Konan, was little cover for the pair of black lacey underwear she had on underneath.

Her breath rushed through her teeth when Itachi nicked the skin just below her earlobe. Their eyes met again, and Sakura felt that addictive pull, dragging the pain over everything.

"Do it," she hissed, daring him. For a moment, he teased the flesh above her collarbone with his lips and she felt her eyes roll back up in her head. As her head lolled against the wall, she hiked up her skirt and snagged her thighs around his hips.

Just when she had rested her arms against his neck, their foreheads touching, he did it. She cringed, and fresh tears of anger bloomed in her eyes. Her fingernails dug into his shoulder blades and her back arched into him. He kept pushing her up against the wall, until she thought she was ready to die.

As she pulled her skirt back into place and straightened her shirt, she felt herself breathing in that inky blackness which was slowly consuming her.

* * *

Morning dawned in a gorgeous array of colors, and Sakura groaned, rolling out of bed.

Itachi, asleep next to her, merely shifted into the warm spot she'd left. She sat in the bathroom for a while, puking to get that shit out of her system. Then she pulled on some clothes and went downstairs to get some tea.

At around eight, Itachi woke up and made some breakfast. They ate quietly in the brightly lit dining room, both tired in more ways than one. After that, Itachi ambushed her in the kitchen and made sure she remembered the night before. She took a shower, got dressed, and turned on the dishwasher before they left.

"Are you ready to go?" Itachi stood by the front door. "Kisame will be here soon, and I wanted you to see more of Iwa." He looked right at her. "The beach is beautiful this time of year."

She nodded. Sakura had no idea why she trusted him at all. She'd first met him two months ago, when it had rained for the last time of the year. He'd taken a minor's virginity, let her smoke, drink and was even living with her. _Where the hell did it come from? _she wondered. _Sasuke never said a damn thing about him being this way._

_**SASUKE NEVER SAID A LOT OF THINGS,**_ her Inner self said sourly, _**AND AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW, PEOPLE CHANGE.**_

Sakura nodded, not noticing the curious look Itachi gave her. _There are some things that neither of us should have to talk about. I just want to not be so... alone._

She shivered. There was that word again.

_**ALL ALONE...**_

_**AW, LITTLE BABY – YOU GONNA NEED YOUR MOMMY? ARE YOU AFRAID OF BEING ALL ALONE...?**_

For once, Outer Sakura didn't retort since her Inner personality had reduced her to silent tears.

* * *

They spent the day shopping and going to different forms of entertainment. It was already dark outside when they reached the oceanfront properties work multiple millions.

Kisame hadn't lied when he told them how incredible the beaches of Iwa were. Spiral rock formations had been carved into the cliffs by millennia of tides, and the spray reached out like fingers, drenching everything.

Sakura's pink toes stood out as she let the water rush over them. She had been thinking about replacing the color with something more funeral–like, perhaps black.

_Black for death, black for night, black for smoke..._

When they returned home, Itachi was hard-pressed to shut the door before he found her lying on the couch, taking a swig of vodka and unbuttoning her shirt.

* * *

They'd knocked over a lamp sometime during the night, and Sakura was reluctant to move in order to clean up. Itachi was so warm and overpowering. It was nice not to have to think. _Don't analyze it,_ she told herself, _just react. Don't think, just move._

She let a finger trail down Itachi's chest, sitting astride him. He looked sleepily up at her. "Not enough, monster?" he asked, pulling her onto him. She arched slightly, happy for the closeness and could almost hear the tension rise.

"Is there something wrong with me?" she asked, green eyes tired of lies. He reached up and twirled a finger through her pink locks. "Sakura, when I look into your eyes, I see a whole world of pain." He sat beside her, so that their eyes were level. "There's the same throbbing in mine." He pulled her hand forward and pressed it against his heart.

_That horrifying pain,_ she realized. _You and I are the same._

"Nothing is wrong with us," he continued, "But some people need ways to share pain. I'm yours," he said almost as an afterthought.

The Uchiha rocked his hips, making her hiss and grip his arms.

A smirk crossed his lips.

"And you're mine."

* * *

"Dr. Sarutobi Hirozen: Found Dead," read the newspaper in Sakura's horrified hands. "Holy shit," she whispered, taking another drag from her cigarette. "How the fuck did that old man die?" Her swearing had become a more constant part of life now that she hung around the Akatsuki.

Itachi shrugged. They were sitting in one of the local Akatsuki spots, a coffee shop by day, a bar by night. "Maybe he sewed up one too many soldiers," her boyfriend offered.

Sakura shot him a disbelieving look and read the column under it, mouthing the words silently. At last, she found what she was looking for and smothered a gasp. The page read, "...Professor Orochimaru suspected in the slaying of his teacher, investigation still pending. On a related topic, Orochimaru has recently been forbidden from teaching in Konoha on grounds of sexual activity of minors." She stopped reading aloud and rubbed her forehead. Knowing the signs, Itachi got her a beer and sat down next to her. "If it helps," he said quietly, "I'm guilty of exactly the same thing."

She pouted. "I'm an adult, or so I was proclaimed when my family–" Sakura swallowed. She'd been about to talk about it, that forbidden subject. Instead, she took a swig of her beer and settled for, "I've been one for two years."

Itachi nodded and unconsciously rolled his thumb across her thigh, making her smile wickedly and reveal a bra strap.


	3. Chapter 3

was writing a tired report when Shizune rapped on her door. She stood, hearing the click of vertebrae and feeling the pull of muscles. _I need to get out more,_ she thought absentmindedly, opening the door for her colleague.

"Tsunade? I have some papers for you to sign, concerning 's death..." The blonde doctor almost pushed Shizune away right then. Her common sense, ever sparse, grouped up and made her sit back down.

"Give them here," she said, reaching out. When Shizune didn't immediately comply, honey blonde eyebrows snapped together. "Is something wrong?"

Her coworker and long time friend fidgeted. "It's um... they um..." Tsunade was getting very annoyed. "Spit it out," she commanded. "It doesn't matter how bad it is." Shizune bowed her head and said, "They want you to take over the hospital, in Sarutobi's place."

Tsunade sat back in surprise. "They'll want me there immediately I suppose..." her eyes were slightly unfocused as she spoke. Shizune shook her head. "I'm not sure. Anko's not going to be too happy about it..." Suddenly a smile crossed her face. "I'm sure would be happy to relieve you of your post." Tsunade snorted and stood. "If I'm leaving, I'm taking you with me. I'll think about it. Is there anything else?"

The younger woman's brown eyes met hers. "Sakura just called. She's in Iwa."

Unfortunately, Tsunade's desk didn't move quickly enough; splinters more accurately described it after a moment.

* * *

"Haruno?" The girl in question was reading in their bedroom while her boyfriend took a shower. She smiled, holding up the glass of bourbon to check it against the light.

"Hi ! Guess where I am?" There was silence, then an ominous, "I heard you are in Iwa." Drunk as she was, the pink haired girl didn't notice Tsunade's unusual tone. "Yep! And guess who's here with me? I'm living with an Uchiha!"

On the other end of the line, Tsunade froze. _Sasuke hasn't said anything about moving... oh shit. _"Itachi?" she hazarded, praying there was some long lost mench (do–gooder) of an Uchiha.

There was a hiccup from between rose colored lips and it dawned on her mentor that Sakura was drunk. "You got it right! You know they say doctors are very smart, right? It's kinda funny," she continued, obviously intoxicated, "But Pein isn't very mean. He's a thug in Konoha, but he's also pretty brilliant... you know what I mean? He owns a big business here, and I even got a job working him!" She laughed. "I mean working _for_ him. Konan's the one who's got him pegged. The same way I've got Itachi!" She exclaimed, taking another gulp of her drink.

Tsunade got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Sakura, there's an associate of mine in Iwa that I want you to visit, okay? His name is Yakushi Kabuto... are you listening?" Her pupil had started laughing. "I'm listening, Doc! I know Kabuto... we go way back! He used to push me off the swings..." she collapsed into giggles. "...he's usually at IU, so I can go see him any time!"

Nodding, Tsunade made a note on her desk. "Sakura, I want you to go see him tomorrow, after work, alright? I think you'll feel better after a few session with him." There was muffled laughter from the other end. "The shrink! You're sending me to the shrink! I just wanted to call and make sure everyone was missing me, and you're sending me to the shrink!" Her voice faltered for a second.

"Am I crazy?" she whispered, cradling the phone as if it were her lifeline. Tsunade sighed. "You're not crazy, Sakura. But I need you to go see Kabuto – to make sure that you're alright. And while you're at it – stop off in at Haku's office and get a blood test done, alright?" There was some bumping on the other line, and a bemused Tsunade assumed she was nodding into the phone. "Haku's back already?" she asked, "I thought Zabuza would have had him stay longer. Suigetsu gets really lonely–" She stopped, her eyes hollowing.

"I miss them," Sakura whispered. "But I can't come back. Not with everything I've done." Tsunade sighed again, rubbing her temples. "Sakura, you're no fool. Your friends don't care about much except that you're safe. Ino's been bugging me every day, not to mention annoying the hell out of Chouji. Ever since Nara left, she's been hell." There was some harsh laughter, but mostly the blonde woman thought it was sobbing. After another moment, Sakura seemed to have found the words she wanted.

"I'm not coming home. It's not that I'm afraid to face them; it's that I'm afraid to face myself."

_My god,_ Tsunade thought,_ I've finally met someone who's more sober when they're drunk._

* * *

When Sakura told Itachi about her phone call, he merely raised his eyebrows at her and made sure they both missed dinner.

"It's not like I want to go," Sakura had told him, breathing hard from their last round, "But Tsunade has done a lot for me, and I owe it to her." Her boyfriend nodded. "I can understand that. You feel an obligation towards her." The pink haired girl sighed. "I guess."

After work the next day, when Sakura was sure Konan had been floating, she went to Iwa University and took the stairs up to Kabuto's office. The first thing she noticed when she stepped into the waiting room was the skylight. The next things were its occupants.

A redhead leaned against a wall, smoking blatantly. Her mouth was twisted in a smirk as she blew smoke into the face of a big with orange hair. Two boys with silver hair sat on a bench, identical twins by their looks, although neither seemed pleased about the situation. A brown haired boy sat on the ledge of the window, grinning at the redhead and trying to get her attention. All five of them wore purple leather belts, regardless of age or gender.

The last occupant of the room was a relatively tall person. Sakura guessed it was a boy by the bulky forearms, but his jacket's hood hung over his face, making any features indistinguishable. Hesitantly, she sat on a bench next to the could–be–a–boy. Just as she pulled a brush out of her bag and began straightening her hair, the boy pulled back his hood and grinned at her.

"Hi! I'm Uchiha Tobi, what's your name?"

Sakura nearly had a heart attack. "It's um... Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you." Her mind caught up with her ears, and she said, "Wait... Uchiha? Are you related to Itachi and Sasuke?"

Tobi nodded vigorously. "They're my most favorite cousins ever!" he exclaimed, his trademark Uchiha hair cut short, a way she'd never seen it. "Do you know them?" Sakura nodded. "I'm Itachi's girlfriend." _And I'm living with him,_ she added silently. The boy clapped his hands together in excitement. "Wow, it's so nice to meet you! Say hi to Itachi for me, okay? And Sasuke if you see him! I haven't seen Sasuke for years." He looked about ready to burst with enthusiasm, and Sakura found it extremely unnerving.

"You aren't Akatsuki, are you?" she asked hesitantly. _Naruto did mention something about new members... _Tobi nodded happily. "Yep! They let me take care of the messy stuff, although you probably know that, being Itachi's girl." She bristled at his description of her and was about to disagree hotly, when she realized she couldn't stay mad at him.

Luckily, a diversion came in the form of the redhead punching the brunette and wrenching him forward by his collar.

"Shut the hell up, Kidomaru! Dumbass! You think the world wants to know your problems? We sure as hell don't want to hear it, and those two don't look half as dumb as you are!" She stopped shouting and looked at them sourly. "Want something? We're the Sound Four, from Oto, and we don't take shit from idiots." She took another drag off her cigarette and let some ash fall on the boy in her grip, who winced.

"Jesus, Tayuya," he said, yanking himself out of her grip. "Dramatic much? Now those idiots know who we are." He sat back up on the windowsill, watching them warily. The orange haired boy snorted and cracked his knuckles. "They won't tell anyone. They probably haven't even heard of us before. Iwa is a long way from Oto."

Sakura blinked and stood up, walking over with an easy grin. "I know who you guys are. You beat the crap out of one of my friend's dads." They gaped at her. "Can I have a smoke?" Wordlessly, Tayuya fished the pack out of her jacket pocket and handed her one. Sakura pulled a lighter (a delayed birthday present from Itachi) out of her jean's pocket and watched the flame singe the cigarette.

She pulled back, taking a deep breath of that poisonous smoke. The Sound Four were still looking at her, in some cases glaring. "So you got a grudge against us, or something?" The scarlet haired girl asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Sakura breathed out carefully, turning her face away from the Sound Four. "Hell no – Hiashi's a bastard," she said, taking another drag. "He really messed up Hinata and Hanabi."

Tayuya grimaced. "This is Jirobo," she said, sticking a thumb in the orange haired kid's direction, "And those are Sakon and Ukon." She pointed to them in succession, first to the right, then the left. "And you are?"

Sakura breathed out again. "It's Haruno Sakura. I'm from Konoha, and one of my best friends is in the Jinchuuriki. I'm currently dating Uchiha Itachi," she said, watching their eyes flicker as she spoke, "And I suppose you know them. I've got no quarrel with you, since I'm not getting paid to, and I don't really give a shit about anything. Anything else? Blood type?"

Kidomaru opened his mouth, but Tayuya flicked the back of his head, effectively closing it. She grinned at Sakura and stuck out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Sakura. What are you in for?" she asked gesturing towards Kabuto's door, which was still closed.

Sakura shook the offered hand and shrugged. "I'm not sure anymore. I don't feel very crazy."

* * *

"Sakura?" Nearly an hour later, Kabuto opened his door and let Sakura in.

"I just got 's email. How are you?" He asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. She grinned at her silver–haired associate. "I'm fine, just a little tired." Kabuto laughed, and she raised an eyebrow. "You haven't been very tired, from the pictures Sasori showed me on his phone." He grinned at her, and she remembered why she used to dislike him. _Damn it, this guy is like a mini Orochimaru!_

She smiled falsely at him. "I was just having a break, since it was a weekend. You know that Iwa clubs are a ton of fun." He nodded, recognizing the impatient tone in her voice, and got out a clipboard. "Now I need you to answer some questions..."

The session went on in a relatively normal fashion, and Sakura didn't understand what was wrong when he suddenly stood up and locked the door. "Sakura," he said, standing beside her, "I think that you are suffering from too much stress. There are things in your life which can and must be changed. If you don't confront your problems, eventually you will collapse from the strain. I can help you..."

Sakura didn't hear the last words he said. What did register, in a sort of screaming manner, was the fact that his hand was sliding up her leg.

"Yakushi Kabuto, take your goddamn hand off me right now."

His greasy smile was all innocence. "But why? Who will hear you scream?" Kabuto backed up a step, looking thoughtful. "You might want to relax a little, make it easier–" He didn't finish his sentence since Sakura had punched him in the face and kneed him low. The silver–haired man took a deep gasping breath as his eyes dilated, and sank to the floor, wheezing.

Disgusted, Sakura stepped over him and unlocked the door, slamming it behind her. She made it down to the third level in the elevator before the real anger kicked in, and she started punching the walls. She pressed the stop button, and sat there for a few minutes, taking her anger out on the metal sheets surrounding her.

When she arrived in IU's main building to get a blood test, only Haku's familiar face cheered her up as she felt the needle suck the red liquid from beneath her skin.


	4. Chapter 4

_A glow party,_ she thought with a sly smile, _is just what I should be doing on the weekends._

Haruno Sakura was in a blackened warehouse, the darkness pierced by splatters of neon paint. She could feel the air in the room throbbing as she danced, Itachi's hands resting lightly on hips. Leaning up against him, she thought she could see desire lighting his onyx eyes. She had dipped her hair in glowing pink paint, and she could feel his red handprints on her waist.

"DO YOU LIKE THE PARTY?" Tayuya had to scream to be heard over the song, and even then her voice was faint. Sakura grinned at her redheaded friend, nodding and accepting a drink. "I LOVE IT!" Tayuya waded through her party guests, holding empty glasses over her head.

Sakura envied Tayuya on some level; her rich parents had died just three years ago, leaving her their company. She had sold most of the company to employees and kept old beachfront warehouses for parties. The Sound Four were hosting tonight's party, with Jirobo as a DJ and Kidomaru as a bouncer. Sakon and Ukon had opted for the quieter section, where they talked to Sasori about a weapons exchange. Halfway through the party, Sakura thought she recognized Kabuto and a dark redhead, although she was too intoxicated to care. Even Suigetsu came over and said hello, though he was rather put out that Kabuto was taking over his date. He introduced his friend, Juugo, who went to smoke something with Kisame and Deidara.

Konan and Pein had been gone for nearly a half an hour, and Sakura suspected that a few more hours of partying would go unnoticed. She turned around, putting her arms around Itachi's neck and breathing in his deep scent. It was thick and hazy, like the cigarettes he smoked. She loved how he tasted.

"Mm... Itachi," she said, drawing a line around his ear with green paint. He caught her hand and brushed it across his own red streaked hair. She knew that look. _It's time to find a private corner, and quick._ She really appreciated that Itachi needed her in the same way she needed him. She knew next to nothing about him, or he her, except that they both felt alone.

_We've got each other,_ she thought. _Well, at least for now._

* * *

"You useless brat! Why can't you ever get anything right?" Hyuuga Hiashi knocked his eldest daughter over and screamed at her. "I wish you were more like Hanabi, since she at least listens to me. You're both trash, and your mother would have been ashamed of you!" He picked her up by the shoulders and shook her. "I should have killed you the moment you were born, you worthless piece of slime!" Hiashi threw her to the side, where she lay, stunned.

Hinata waited until she was sure her father had gone, and curled up in pain. _What did I do wrong?_ she thought, _I'm not trying to fail! I wish that I had died, so no one would ever know how much of a failure I am at everything. Why do people like me, when there's so much wrong with me? Why do I make everything worse?_ Her long indigo hair was matted and she felt her head aching dully.

It wasn't long before Hanabi came in, carrying a towel and some ice. She straightened a skewed picture frame as she passed, and set the towel down next to her older sister. The ice went into Hinata's hands and Hanabi started to leave.

"Hanabi..." the heiress whispered, trying not to cough. She could taste blood running from the corner of her mouth and could feel one of her ribs spiking with pain.

The younger girl didn't turn, but she paused in the doorway. "I'm sorry."

Hinata just smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

"Jesus. She's in the hospital?" Yamanaka Ino sat on a swing at the park, talking to Nara Shikamaru. He was calling from the military base just outside of Suna where his squadron was positioned.

The blonde girl answered his question with an affirmative. "Neji brought her in yesterday, when I was setting out fresh flowers. I know it was Hiashi again, but she's still saying she fell down the stairs." On the opposite end of the line, Shika sighed. "She'll stand up to him eventually. Any news about Sakura?"

Ino's feet dragged in the dirt, slowing her to a stop. "She's in Iwa. Apparently she has no plans of coming back, and she's staying with Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. He's–" Shika cut her off. "–Akatsuki. I know. Extremely troublesome."

They sat there neither speaking for a moment. "Shika," she blurted out after a moment, "We miss you–" He cut her off again. "I know. I miss you guys too. I sent you guys some mail, so it should be there tomorrow. Temari sent something too; she said it was a special recipe, or something."

Ino leapt off the swing, pumping a fist into the air in victory. "Yes! It's the recipe for the cake at Sakura's party! Booyah!" Ino's enthusiasm subsided and she sucked in a deep breath. "So you'll visit us before school starts?" He sighed again at the other end and conceded. "It'll be the last visit for a while. Our squadron is being deployed. We'll be traveling pretty far away for probably the next year or so."

The blonde girl sat again with a thud. "A year? Will you write to us?" The boy on the other end deliberated. "I'll write when I can," he said. _How troublesome. I'm missing them more than I thought I would._ "At least once a month, okay?"

Ino nodded, and told him goodbye. When the line went dead, Ino put her face in her hands and concentrated on not having a nervous breakdown.

_Everyone's leaving,_ she thought, _Are we gonna stay close? I've been Sakura's best friend for more than ten years and she hasn't said a word to me since she went to Iwa. Is it breaking us apart?_

* * *

Naruto sat in Ichiraku Ramen with Neji and Chouji, his face angry. He hadn't touched his ramen for once, and the Hyuuga took this to mean that Uzumaki had finally snapped. _Someone pushed the wrong button,_ Neji thought as he sipped his iced tea.

"I'm gonna kill that bastard," the irritable blonde said quietly. "He put her in the fucking hospital. Tell me how to get into the Hyuuga compound and the entire Jinchuuriki will take him out, believe it!" His fists were shaking with anger beneath the table, and other customers were looking at him worriedly.

"Calm down, Naruto." Sasuke had walked into the shop and immediately focused on the aura of hatred emanating from his friend. "You'll just get hurt, and she'll know it was you." Chouji glanced up, nodded in agreement and went back to demolishing his grilled pork plate.

Naruto's darkened expression didn't lift, but he shifted over so that the Uchiha could sit next to him. "She's getting out of KonoHos tomorrow, Tsunade said, and we're not allowed to visit her. Kakashi said he'll forcibly remove us from the premises if he catches us around there. I swear, ever since he quit being a firefighter, he's gotten antsy. Now he's almost finished with his police training, so he probably won't be our teacher much longer." Sasuke sighed and put his head in his hands. "Can you picture it? Hatake with a gun in one hand and Icha Icha Paradise in the other?" He shook his head.

Neji leaned back in his seat as the waitress came and took Sasuke's order of fresh grilled tomatoes. For a few minutes, there was silence at the table, as they considered this.

Then, Chouji finished his food and wiped his face, smiling in contentment. "I heard that Asuma is going to propose to Kurenai. After Sarutobi died she was there for him," the Akimichi boy explained to his astonished companions, "And everyone knows the kid's his. He figures that his child should grow up with a father. Plus it means that Konohamaru gets a cousin."

At last, Naruto seemed to have come out of his depression. "Konohamaru's a good kid," he said slowly, "And I hear he's got a thing for Hyuuga Hanabi. Weird kid, huh? Hanabi's like an ice queen." They laughed, all knowing the younger Hyuuga was stiffer than Ebisu on a bad day.

When Lee walked in with Kiba, who was arm in arm with Tenten, Neji dropped his cup and it shattered, spraying everyone with chilled green tea and bits of glass. "Aw, great Neji," Naruto grumbled, carefully picking himself up. "This was my last clean shirt." The Hyuuga boy was bright red with embarrassment as they all helped to mop up the mess.

"It's alright!" Exclaimed Lee as they threw away the last of the trash. "Neji was just overcome with happiness at the sight of his beautiful teammate, Tenten! They are a great team when they play tennis, are they not?" Sasuke and Naruto were shaking their heads, trying not to laugh as Neji and Tenten blushed crimson.

When Kiba sat down, it turned out that the booth was too small. "Tenten can sit in my lap," he offered, to which Neji expressed a firm "No." He got up and dragged a chair over, ignoring the wry looks from his friends.

* * *

Shino liked maintaining his personal space. Perhaps that was why he was so uncomfortable with Inuzuka Kiba's sister in his room, using his computer. Kiba's older sister was wearing jean shorts, sandals, a green vest and a brown t–shirt with a dog print on it. She seemed oblivious to his quiet coughs, her scarlet fingernails tapping a rhythm on his wireless keyboard.

"Can I do something for you?" He asked at last, still puzzled as to why Hana was there. She looked up at him, the red tattoos on her face seeming as feral as her canine grin. "Not a thing, Aburame. By the way, thanks for being so cool about this. If I don't turn this in to my professor today, I'll flunk the class, and you're the only person I knew around here." She glanced up at him again. "You know, it might be easier for you to see if you took off the glasses once in a while. Who wears sunglasses in their own house?"

She typed in the print command and Shino's brand new LaserJet printer started up. Hana walked around his room, stopping in front of Shino's favorite poster. "You listen to Karsh Kale?" she asked in disbelief, propping one hand on her hip. Shino sighed. "Yes, I do listen to Karsh Kale. Why do you ask?"

Hana turned towards him smirking. "Because it's one of my favorite bands." She grabbed the paper from the printer and flashed him a grin before vaulting out of his window, the same way she'd come.

He reached the window in time to see her land on all fours and stuff the paper in her backpack, hopping onto her motorcycle.

_Well jeeze,_ Shino thought as the engine roared to life, _I wonder how she even knows where I live._


	5. Chapter 5

Dr. Yakushi Kabuto's office door was closed and Uchiha Tobi was sitting in the chair, an excited grin plastered over his face. "Tobi is a good boy!" he said happily as Kabuto took notes on his clipboard.

The doctor, in direct contrast to his patient, was not at all pleased with his findings. He had been monitoring Tobi for several weeks, and had diagnosed him with a severe case of Multiple Personality Disorder. Kabuto was unsure how to treat it, since whenever he told the Uchiha something, he was never sure how it would be taken. Usually, the person in question had at least one dominant personality that portrayed itself the majority of the time. In this case, Tobi had three. His foremost alternate selves, Madara and Obito, were very odd in their temperaments: Madara was a homicidal man with a psychopath's anarchical tendencies, while Obito was a child who was besieged by guilt over a friend's accidental death.

"Kakashi, please forgive me," the boy whispered, suddenly cowering in the chair. It was presumably Obito, since the behavior was uncharacteristic of either of the others. Then his back went ramrod straight, and he glared angrily at the silver haired man in front of him. "This world belongs to me," Madara hissed, "What do you want, Sound scum?"

Amazed and slightly wary, Kabuto leaned back until that jubilant smile had reestablished itself on his features.

"Tobi is a very good boy!"

Kabuto raked a hand through his grey hair and sighed; this was going to be a very hard case to cure.

* * *

When Sasuke heard the news, he went to the only member of the Akatsuki he knew how to contact. Hidan, working as a bodyguard, got a nasty surprise when Sasuke rammed him up into a brick wall and stole his cell phone.

"Come on, pick up," he muttered, holding Hidan with one hand. For all that the silver haired religious fanatic was deadly, threaten to curse him and he was as meek as a kitten.

Finally, the ringing stopped. "Hello?" This wasn't the voice Sasuke was expecting, and his eyes went wide. "Sakura?" There was silence at the other end as she took a deep breath, reorganizing her thoughts. "What do you want Sasuke?" _What the hell? Does Hidan have the wrong number listed? How does Hidan have Sakura's number? What's going on?_

"Um, I was calling for Itachi, but... is this the wrong number?" He waited anxiously. The entire time, he was still gripping Hidan's neck in one hand, carefully flexing his fingers to keep the blood flowing. "No, this is the right number. This is the house phone. Why are you calling so late? Did you need to talk to him about something?" Her voice was suspicious, completely unlike her. _Doesn't she trust me?_ The young Uchiha wondered, _Considering that she used to be in love with me. Has she gone insane?_

But his mouth, ever polite, refused to voice those opinions. "Yeah, Sakura. I just wanted to talk to my brother about something that happened last night in Iwa." Again, a pause. _What is she thinking? She used to chatter every moment, and now she's got the creepy silence thing going._ "Do you think Itachi did it? Because I can vouch for him–" Sasuke answered the negative. "Don't worry Sakura, it's not something he did. It's an Uchiha thing, okay?" _Why is she worrying about him? Why bother to stand up for him?_

"Okay. I'll get him." He could hear the thudding sound of feet moving up stairs in the background. "Itachi," she called, phone pressed against her collarbone, "Sasuke's on the phone for you."

Waiting patiently, Sasuke wondered how in hell his brother was living with one of his best friends. _Well we used to be best friends,_ another part of him said snidely, _Until my brother stole her away to Iwa. What a creep! This is why mom likes me better!_

"Yes?" That deep, familiar voice broke his silent conversation. "Itachi," Sasuke said in relief, releasing Hidan from his hold. In his palm, he clutched the triangle–circle charm that hung around the silver haired man's neck. "I really need to talk to you. Last night in Iwa, someone murdered Uchiha Fujira." Itachi blinked once in surprise. "Tobi's dad?" Sasuke answered the affirmative. "He was found shot to death, and the police can't get a hold of Tobi. Jiraiya wants you to call him, since the investigation will be completely screwed if they can't find him."

For a moment, the older Uchiha considered this. "Sure. Tell Jiraiya I'll give him a call." Sasuke opened his mouth to say that he hadn't given him the number, and closed it again. Itachi moved in mysterious ways, and he'd be a poor Akatsuki member if he didn't know the police chief's number. "Alright, I will. Hey, um, Itachi?" His brother breathed out. "What, Sasuke?"

"Mom says she misses you. We want to know how you've been. And even though dad won't talk about it, I'm pretty sure he wants you home too. Do you think you could visit during fall break?" He held his breath, sure that the answer would be to hang up.

"I'll think about it."

Sasuke smiled. _He never could resist mom saying she needed him there!_ He thought of something else. "Itachi, could Sakura come up with you? Everyone's really worried about her, and I've been meaning to ask her something–"

Itachi cut him off. "I don't think Sakura's planning on returning to Konoha. She's enrolling in Iwa High next week." This shut Sasuke up. "Oh, well... just tell her that we all miss her and we want to hear from her sometime." Itachi conceded and hung up.

"So what did he want?" Sakura asked from the bed, where she was curled up with a book. Itachi sat down with a sigh, pulling off his shirt and lying next to her. "He wanted to tell me that Tobi's dad got killed and that everybody wants us to visit." She went rigid next to him. "Please tell me," she whispered, "That you made my opinion clear."

Uchiha Itachi's dark eyes looked down into Haruno Sakura's jade orbs. "I made it extremely clear." His lips crushed hers in a bruising kiss.

* * *

"Neji."

The boy in question was surprised; he hadn't been expecting a call from Tenten, especially not since he'd seen her only an hour ago. "Is there something wrong, Tenten?" he asked almost hesitantly.

He heard swallow on the other end and her voice cracked slightly as she spoke. "I need you to come over." She hiccupped and he realized that she was crying. "Now. Is that okay?"

Neji had never heard her so broken up.

"Yeah."

He hung up the phone, knowing she would understand. He grabbed his skateboard and his house keys, thankful in so many ways that he didn't live in the Hyuuga compound anymore.

When he reached Tenten's house, he pulled up short. Her father's car was gone, and the whole house was dark. He picked up his skateboard, walking swiftly up the drive. _What's going on? Has something happened to Tenten?_ Neji's overactive imagination supplied images that all his willpower couldn't block out.

_Tenten lying in a pool of her own blood, wrists sliced as she sat all alone..._

He shook the thought out of his head and pounded on her door.

"Tenten? Are you there?"

Not even a carefully trained Hyuuga could keep the slight tremor out of his voice. It was concern for his friend and fear for what might have happened to her. After a moment, the lock unbolted and he grasped the handle eagerly. It swung in without protest, but once it was open, he wished it had stayed shut.

Tenten was curled next to the door, barefoot and bleeding from shallow scrapes on her hands.

The house looked trashed, as if a hurricane had roared through without any regard for the laws of nature. Most of the furniture was intact, except for the kitchen table, which was strangely missing. His pale eyes took in the china, vanished from the cupboards, and the way only some of the photographs had been taken from the walls. To an untrained eye, it might look like a large scale burglary, but Hyuuga Neji had been training at the Konoha Police academy for two years. It was glaringly obvious to him what had happened...

From her spot on the floor, Tenten hadn't uttered a word. She was curled up, head on her forearms, as though the light from the dying sunset was too much for her eyes. Her hair was slashed out of its usual buns, as though she herself had torn out the ties. Neji crouched down slowly, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Tenten," he whispered, and she looked up.

Looking into those brown eyes, he realized that she knew the truth of what had happened here. She too, had seen the pictures that lay scattered on the floors amid the broken glass...

"They're gone," she rasped, eyes dull from the immense pain. He pushed a few errant strands from her face, and she tried to smile, lips trembling.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, holding his arms open. She just looked at him for a moment. Then she threw herself towards him, crying openly and silently now. She hiccupped into his shoulder, bawling like she was a child. And he comforted her, shushing her, stroking her shoulder length hair and holding her tightly.

They sat there for a long time. Tenten was trying to understand why her parents had left, and Neji couldn't figure out who would want make Tenten break this way. It seemed that her parents had decided that they didn't want anything to remind them of their only daughter.

And in the broken picture frames, strewn over the ripped pillows, lay x–ed out photographs of Tenten.

* * *

Kiba threw down his cards. "Dude!" he said angrily, scratching Akamaru with more force than strictly necessary. He and Shino were sitting in Kiba's bedroom, playing Go Fish, since Kiba claimed Shino could cheat at any other game. Shino had just won, and was coming to the conclusion that his best friend just sucked.

"Stop being so angry about a game," he said calmly, gathering the deck and shuffling. "Do you want to play again?"

The Inuzuka boy wisely decided to decline, his expression sour. "I'd have beaten you if only I gotten some good cards," he sulked, standing up and stretching. "Wanna see if Hinata's busy? I'm sure she could teach me how to play..."

Shino shook his head, putting the pack of cards back into the box. "Hinata is doing a kickboxing class with Naruto. She won't be back until later." He straightened his glasses. "I wonder when that idiot is gonna figure out she's in love with him?"

"That dumbass should just hook up with Sakura and be done with it! He drooled after her often enough when she was here. Hinata shouldn't faint over a brainless idiot like him."

He remembered the way Naruto had grinned at the Hyuuga heiress, in that carefree happiness.

Kiba snarled wordlessly and stomped downstairs, annoyed for being goaded so easily. The Aburame boy just sighed, following his friend to the kitchen.

Inuzuka Hana was sitting in the kitchen, having a loud phone conversation. "Hatake Kakashi, I swear to god, I've had it with you! You can absolutely forget about me being your date – I saw you with the Ichiraku Ramen girl again! You can't expect me to believe that shit about tutoring her. Stay out of my life, you fucker!" She slammed the phone onto the receiver and hopped off the counter, fuming.

Hana turned slightly pink when she realized she'd had an audience. The boys were standing frozen at the foot of the stairs. Kiba was smirking at Hana, his tattoos turning his expression mischievous.

"I am _so_," he put emphasis on the word, "going to tell mom that you were dating Kakashi! She'll probably make you move back in, once she hears about it." He crossed his arms over his chest as his sister slowly paled.

"You wouldn't," she said, expression darkening. She subconsciously rubbed the tattoo on her right forearm, which had gotten her grounded for three months.

Her little brother sighed and Akamaru came trotting down the stairs, his master's cell phone in his mouth. Hana twitched a hand and her Haimaru Sankyodai sat up at her feet. She smirked, her face a reflection of Kiba's.

"They'll tear Akamaru to pieces if you try it, little bro. Besides, I'm sure Aburame here would vouch for me, right?" Shino, surprised by the sudden change in topic, nodded while Kiba glared at his friend.

Hana's huskies relaxed; Haima, Rusan and Kyodai, named for their breed, were finely attuned to their mistresses' moods. Her stress bled off into them; there were some times of the month when anywhere was safer than being around the eldest Inuzuka daughter. Even Kuromaru with Inuzuka Tsume, a Konoha Police Captain, had a temper to rival the elements when she didn't get chocolate when she asked.

"So when were you planning on taking off the glasses?" She asked, gesturing towards his dark shades. "I'm not." When she saw he was serious, she grimaced and swiped them before he could put them back on.

"These are so black, I wonder how you could see anything out of them!" she exclaimed, keeping them out of his reach.

"Give them back," he said, thankful that he was as tall as the Inuzuka woman. "You'll scratch them!" He snatched them back as Hana and Kiba chuckled at his blushing face.

_I leave them on for a reason,_ he thought, shoving them back onto his face and running a hand through his short brown hair.

"Whatever, Aburame," Hana said. "And by the way, thanks for last week."

He nodded as she grabbed her gym bag and whistled for her dogs to get up. When she'd dropped her glass into the dishwasher and cleaned up the remains of her lunch, all three huskies trailed after her, out the back door.

"So," Kiba said when she was gone, "You and Hana, eh?"

Shino shrugged hastily, trying to force down a blush. "She used my printer last week is all. It's not like that." Kiba just smirked, grabbed some apple juice from the fridge and feeding Akamaru a biscuit. "It's none of my business. If you can deal with someone as bitchy as Hana, you can keep her. Just stay away from Hinata, okay?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Shino took a water bottle from the Inuzuka's cupboard and ignored the idiot who was pointing out his burning cheeks.


	6. Chapter 6

_The nights in Suna were eerily calm – he'd always liked the slight rustle that came with rain in Konoha. But here the city breathed out at night. Shops stayed open until dawn and people kept any hours they liked._

_When Shika had first been invited to enjoy the night life with Kankuro, he'd declined; that sort of thing wasn't really for him, and he had better things to do with his spare time than chase women. Instead he'd settled for going through the markets in Suna with Temari, shopping for food and hot weather clothes._

_They'd been out for more than two hours and the moon had sailed into the sky, a silver disk above the city shrouded in darkness and heat. He could see the beads of sweat on Temari's neck and forced himself not to brush his fingers across them. Ever since he'd seen the picture back in Konoha, well... there were a lot of things he'd been tempted to do. Luckily, his self control had prevailed, and a smiling façade kept other feelings at bay. But every time she solved a strategy game, or nearly won at chess, he could sense it there..._

_The shops on either side of them held ice cream, cold drinks, and frozen fruits. He wondered if she'd like something, and almost didn't notice when she led him up a stairway._

_Then she'd taken his hand and pressed a finger to his lips. "Look," she whispered, and led him onto a rooftop that overlooked the whole city. Out of force of habit, he looked up, seeing only stars and blackness in place of floating moisture. Then he had sighed and looked back at Temari, seeing for the first time what captivated her. She was looking out over Suna, her teal eyes taking it all in._

_He could see the blackened sky, but where it hit the desert, a golden shimmer surrounded the city, rising all the way through its walls, twining around its buildings. You could almost hear the heartbeat of the city, thudding through its very pores. Suna was a very old city, and you could feel it living all around you. The sensation made him shiver; he wasn't sure he'd ever considered something that way before. It scared him, but it also reassured him: this was what he was fighting to preserve._

_They'd been standing there for a few moments when Temari sat down on the edge, knees crossed in front of her. When Shikamaru took a seat next to her, she grinned. "Like it, Nara?" It irked him that she called him by his last name, but he nodded nonetheless. "It's beautiful."_

_He said it quietly, not wanting to break the fragile spell of the desert. Sabaku Temari leaned back, lacing her fingers behind her head and letting her feet dangle off the edge. He grinned at the familiar position._

"_Which one? Which one's beautiful?"_

_Was it some kind of test? He didn't know, but he leaned over the blonde haired woman who was breathing so shallowly. Flashing through his mind were her cheeky grin, sense of humor, and intelligence that rivaled his own._

"_You are."_

_Their lips met in one crushing moment, splitting the boundary between sky and earth._

"Oi! Shika!"

The boy in question was lying on the barracks roof when Kankuro climbed up next to him. Shikamaru sighed, annoyed that his memory of the previous week had been interrupted.

"What are you doing, idiot? If you slip off of here, you'll break your neck! We need to get back to base; our squadron is being deployed next week."

Nara Shikamaru just sighed again and followed his fellow soldier off the roof.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino was typing on her computer when her father called her downstairs. "Nara's on the phone for you," Inoichi was holding a folder and balancing a coffee cup in his other hand. "She'll be right down," he said into the phone.

Ino took the stairs two at a time, her feet thudding on each step. "Shikamaru?" she asked breathlessly when she'd reached the phone. "Is that you?" There was a sigh from the other end. "Yeah. I was calling to say that our squadron has its orders. We're leaving in a few days. I'm calling Chouji next, and emailing people too. Temari says I should get everything down now, while I still have the time." He fell silent for a moment. "Ino, are you going to be alright?"

She fought for breath. Damn! She'd forgotten how well he knew her. "Um, yeah, I'll be fine. It's not like you're leaving forever." There was an agonizing moment when neither of them spoke, and Ino was about to ask _just how long_ he'd volunteered for, when Shika sighed again on the other end.

"Ino, I'll be back in two years. I've already arranged everything with the university, and they'll let me teach there when I get back. But, that's not the only thing I'm worried about." There it was again, that suffocating pause. "Ino, I'm going out with Temari."

The blonde girl's throat closed up for a millisecond. "You are?" To her own ears, her voice sounded confused, and she hoped that was all it sounded.

_I thought he liked me! I am the prettiest girl he knows, plus I've known him for all these years, so what right does she have to–_

Then she stopped herself. She was acting like she owned Shikamaru, when she didn't. And she also realized how foolish she'd sound if she voiced her objections without anything to back them up. _I'm not in love with him or anything like that,_ she thought, _But I am acting like an idiotic, overprotective big sister. I really need to go see Tsunade about this superiority complex sometime!_

"That's great! I'm really excited for you guys – Temari's really great. What about you, Shika, are you going to be okay, away for so long?" He laughed half–heartedly. "I'll be fine, Ino–Pig." He called her by her old nickname, making her sigh. "I'll just miss playing chess with my dad and watching clouds with Chouji. Eating potato chips isn't the same when I actually get some." They chuckled for a moment, the tension disappearing.

The rest of the conversation went normally, except that Ino was blushing constantly at her own silliness. When he said goodbye, she opened the freezer, letting the air cool her flaming face.

_I am not mad that he's leaving, I am not mad, I am not mad, I am not mad–_

_I am so mad at him for going out with her._

* * *

When Ino's in denial, she gets extremely frustrated and bored.

And that's why she had dragged all of her friends out to a party at a private high school in South Section, the rich part of town. There were so many people there that she wasn't even sure it was a party, rather than a convention. The huge gym was packed with people of every size and shape, the walls practically humming with the sounds of music and chatter.

Hinata and Kiba were dancing, or rather Hinata was trying to and Kiba was practically hugging her. Naruto and Sasuke were leaning on one of the walls, downing alcoholic drinks like they were nothing. Neji and Tenten were nowhere to be found, although Ino privately suspected that they'd ditched the party in favor of ice skating.

Chouji was hanging out with Shino, who had been cornered by a bunch of college students. Among them was Inuzuka Hana, who was hanging off of Hatake Kakashi's arm.

Ino wasn't concerned by any of this, however. She was annoyed by the fact that she was obviously drunk, and for some reason had gotten herself locked into one of the school's basements. One moment it had been all laughs, and smokes, and jello shots, and the next... well there was only darkness.

It no longer seemed funny, and the world had stopped spraying neon colors, so she figured it was time for another drink. The blonde girl had just wandered down to a table and picked up something that was vaguely cup shaped when a monotone voice sounded behind her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She spun around and shrieked, convinced that for the first time in her life she'd met a vampire. His skin was extremely pale and his hair was blacker than Sasuke's. She felt that his creepy aura was completed by the polite, humorless smile that rested on his lips.

"Why shouldn't I?" She asked, her voice brazen even when she wasn't. The boy sighed and gestured to the tables behind him. "This is a dark room. The stuff you're holding is made up of poisonous chemicals used in the development of photos. It's extremely toxic. Do you really want to drink it?"

Ino considered her options, swishing the dark liquid back and forth in the beaker. She was locked in a room underground with a maybe–vampire who looked a little blurry around the edges because of the way the room was tilting.

"I'll take my chances," she said at last, raising it to her lips.

The dark haired boy's eyes widened marginally and she giggled drunkenly. "I got you! Made you look!" She put the beaker down carefully and grinned at him. "My name's Ino. What are you?"

After giving her a speculative look, he answered. "I'm Sai." He led her over to a seat and got a water bottle from beneath a counter. "And as far as I know, I'm human."

"So, Sai," she drawled, "Why aren't you up at the party, having fun like the rest of us?"

His dark eyes caught her own. "Were you really having fun?"

A slight frown wrinkled her forehead and she leaned forward, eyes heavily lidded. "Of course I was. Why wouldn't I be?" She rocked backwards on the stool. His smile turned slightly downward in something best described as a smirk.

"Because you stumbled drunkenly into a dark room, nearly drank some noxious chemicals and now you're about to kiss someone who you've known for all of two minutes."

Ino stopped giggling and looked up at him in surprise. "Hey," she said, alcohol rushing through her veins, baby blue eyes opened wide. She shifted closer to him.

"How'd you know what I was going to do?"

"Because one of your arms is around my shoulders and the other hand is unbuckling my belt."

* * *

_Oh my god._

Ino woke up and threw up. She'd gotten in at around two in the morning, having been driven by Inuzuka Hana. She'd locked her door, washed her makeup off and climbed into bed. She was in her room, with her clothes and her perfume; but something had changed since last night.

_In the darkroom, _she thought, her thoughts pounding with a hangover,_ with that boy... his name was... it was Sai... oh, Jesus Christ. I promised Dad I wouldn't do it until I was married, what in hell will he say...?_

She got out her towel and took a steaming bath, eyes sore from the harsh lights of the basement. Then she called an emergency spa day on her own. She caught the bus, hoping that no one she knew saw her looking so terrible.

There were some things she just needed to sort out on her own.

_Why did I do it?_

_Why was I so ready?_

_Why can I remember his name so clearly?_


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura woke up in Iwa one day screaming.

She could have sworn she heard that voice, that terrifying voice...

Getting out of bed and pulling on some shorts, she stumbled over to the doorway and called out, "Itachi?"

It was odd how reassuring his presence was.

"Is something wrong Sakura?" He appeared, already dressed in the hall. She nodded. "I thought I could hear voices..."

Abruptly, his expression changed. "I was just talking to Hidan with my phone on speaker. I'm sorry if it was too loud."

That name, it was familiar...

"What does Hidan look like again? And why didn't you wake me? You must have heard me screaming from the next room." Her lips pouted slightly as she frowned and he placed a light kiss on her lips.

"Everyone has their own nightmares," he said calmly and she shivered, trying to ignore the sensation that his private horrors were much worse than her own. She let the conversation drop and returned to bed, realizing only once Itachi had left for work that he'd neglected to answer her question about the only Akatsuki member she hadn't met.

* * *

The day when Sakura first declined an offer to go to a party was the day Itachi knew.

Uchiha Itachi knew many things.

He knew she wouldn't stay forever; it wasn't in her nature to be so cruel to herself.

He knew that she would eventually crack.

He knew that some things just didn't last.

And he knew that soon she wouldn't be able to stand the sight of him.

So he did what any normal boyfriend would do; he stayed home as well and ravished her until they were both exhausted.

He felt as though the days were shortening. Minutes stretched beyond their capacity, but weeks flew by. Itachi knew that come summer's end, he wouldn't be able to call her his anymore. So he made the most of it.

Every second was another adventure, every spark of pain or tear shed a new exploit. It got to the point where he hated having out of his sight. He knew that if he stopped watching her for long enough, she would turn to smoke in his fingers.

But slowly, ever so slowly, she turned back into the girl she'd been. She cut her hair again to shoulder length, and she began to wear lighter tones of blues and green. He noticed that she even began to wear jewelry and makeup again. The Uchiha knew time was short, and did all he could to drag it out.

Hours spent curled up together, or drinking, made her progress slow; but he knew it wasn't enough.

Uchiha Itachi knew many things.

He knew that he wasn't enough to make her stay.

* * *

The call came in while they were at work.

"Sakura, line three!" Konan had said, holding a button down until her coworker picked up.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

Sakura's brisk business voice did nothing to coax words from her caller.

"Hello?"

Then she heard the sobs. It was pitiful crying, the broken heartedness that made her eyes turn sad. She waited a few more moments, determined to help in some way.

"Sakura..."

She froze. She knew that voice and her eyes shot open, fists clenching.

"Sasuke?" she breathed, already knowing it was him. There were more sobs and breaths gulped down. "They're all gone, Sakura. Mom, dad, everybody..." He dissolved into tears, slumped in the telephone booth outside of the Uchiha compound. "...somebody, somebody killed them all, Sakura, they're all gone..."

Sakura dropped the phone when the line went dead, horrified. She sat there, still as stone until thoughts clicked through her mind.

Itachi.

What if they'd gotten him too?

She pushed her chair back from the desk harshly and practically flew down the hall to Itachi's office, sorrow lining her features as she prepared to face it –

But there he was. Calm faced and peaceful, he looked up from his pile of reports. "What is it, Sakura? Do you need something?" Shivering slightly, she walked forward.

"They're gone," she whispered, eyes glazed in horror. "Sasuke said they're all gone... all the Uchiha's."

His brows arched down sharply. "Well since I'm obviously here, and he's obviously not dead if he can tell you this, the Uchiha's are not 'all gone.'" He picked up the phone and dialed Sasuke's cell phone number. While it rang he looked at Sakura. He could see white all the way around her eyes, and her hands were shaking.

No one picked up the phone, and he left a message on Sasuke's answering machine.

* * *

When Sakura showed up for therapy later that night, confused by the unconfirmed reports, she'd been anxious to say the least. Luckily she was alone in the waiting room except for Tobi, who was painting his nails.

This confused her more; why would Sasuke have said all if Tobi was still alive?

"Do you like this color, Sakura? Tobi likes this color!" He was painting his unusually long nails a bright orange color. "Um, yes, it's a great color. Hey Tobi, have you heard anything about the other Uchiha's lately?"

Slowly, he turned to look at her, and she was struck by his unusually sloe–like eyes.

"Which other Uchiha's? There's only me, and Sasuke, and Itachi left now!"

Sakura inched backwards on the bench. "What do you mean, Tobi?" She spoke slowly, carefully, as though she were conversing with a small child. "Why aren't there anymore Uchiha's? What happened to them all?"

Tobi beamed at her.

"Because I killed them, that's why! I was going to kill everybody, especially Itachi because he's a sick bastard and Sasuke because he's a popular know–it–all, but I spared them for you!"

His glowing smiled was the complete opposite of her utter horror.

"I didn't want to make you upset, and I knew that you were friends with them, so I made sure they didn't get slaughtered like the rest of those assholes. Aren't you happy?"

He looked like he was expecting some sort of answer, so she just nodded slowly, mind overcome with shock. Then she stood, slung her bag over her shoulder and took her heels off. Then she sprinted out of the building.

She was almost afraid that he'd come after her. But he'd wanted her to be happy, right? Her logic was a little fuzzy at the moment, especially after hearing that excited mouth spew murderous bullshit into the air.

Sakura ran until she could feel her feet start to bleed. She's crossed nearly half of Iwa, pelting down the sidewalks until she remembered to call Itachi.

"Itachi!" She nearly screamed at him when he finally picked up. She told him where she was; it would be insensitive to tell him over the phone, wouldn't it?

When his car pulled up, she immediately got into the passenger's seat and looked at Itachi. His face was still blank as she dropped her purse in the back and told him to park. As soon as he had the emergency brake on, he turned and looked at her expectantly.

"Well? What's the matter?"

She burst into tears. "Tobi killed off every Uchiha except for you and Sasuke!"

She could feel the water rolling down her cheeks and knew her face was blotchy, but god, all those people dying just because some lunatic had felt like it?

_**IT'S LIFE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FAIR. BUT NEXT TIME WE SEE TOBI, HE IS SO GETTING A TALKING TO.**_

Sakura glanced up at Itachi, expecting something, anything. She was almost pleading for him to look sad, some sign of emotion...

"Is that all?"

The tears halted mid–sob and she stared at him.

"Are you, are you serious?" she said, hiccupping between breaths.

He nodded, raising an eyebrow. "At least if I'm alive I can still keep the Uchiha clan alive. It's really not that dramatic."

It was like Sakura had been wearing rose–tinted glasses until someone pushed her down on the sidewalk.

"Your whole fucking family is dead and you don't even care?" Her hollow voice matched the expression of dawning horror in her eyes.

He shrugged. "I'll admit that killing my mother was a bit of a waste; she made excellent soup."

Without another word, Sakura got out of the car, slammed the door behind her and walked away. As her bare feet hit the asphalt, she pulled her phone out of her bag and dialed a number she'd known practically since birth.

"Ino, it's me."


	8. Chapter 8

When Sakura stepped off the train into Konoha, she was enveloped in a bone crushing hug, which she gladly returned. Ino was crying into her shirt, and Naruto had her bags over one shoulder before she'd even gotten off the platform. Everyone else simply held back and waited their turn.

They filled her in as Choji got the car and started out towards Sasuke's house. No one spoke throughout that car ride, though the air practically hummed with tension. Sakura's fists were clenched, and Ino's arm was linked through hers the entire time.

"The police are there," Neji said quietly, and Hinata nodded. The squad cars were clearly visible, screaming down the street and the sirens blared through the early morning. They turned the corner, parked several houses away from the main gate and jumped out. Lee was the first to see him.

"Sasuke!"

He was sitting in a blanket, hands over his ears, eyes scrunched shut. He didn't even look up as they surrounded him, though several officers did ask for identification. Choji showed them his driver's license and they left them alone.

"Sasuke," Lee repeated, shaking his friend. "Can you hear me?"

Dead eyes looked up and Lee flinched backwards.

_**WAKE UP, SLEEPY HEAD!**_

There were circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and tear tracks running down his drawn face. "What," he said thickly, "Do you want?"

Hinata, kneeling on Sasuke's right, offered him a water bottle, which he ignored.

He repeated his question. "What do you want?"

Dark, glittering eyes flickered from face to face as though not quite seeing them. Sakura waved a hand in front of his face and he reacted; so he was awake.

Leaning in to whisper in his ear, she took one of his cold hands in her own. "Sasuke, I came back for you. I know what it's like to be dead, but you don't have to die." She drew a deep breath.

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry, but I can't save you if there's nothing left to save."

Suddenly his whole body went tense and he looked over at her.

"There's always something left to save," he said through gritted teeth. Then his eyes rolled up the back of his head and he slumped forward onto Sakura, who caught him. A quick call to sorted out the ambulance and for the first time in months, Sakura slept in her own bed.

Konoha was just as she remembered it. But some things, as she found out later from Ino, would never be the same.

* * *

Sasuke slept deep for those first few days.

His mind was full of the faces of loved ones. But over the course of the next few months, his friends supported him and became his family all over again. And each year at the memorial service, he stood by their graves with his friends in a long chain in either direction.

His mother, a happy housewife who had been the gentlest soul to walk the face of the earth; his father, an arrogant businessman who had nonetheless loved his family indiscriminately; every other cousin and relative who had ever meant anything to him lay resting beneath the soil of one of Konoha's graveyards.

The police caught Tobi, who put up an odd fight; he was locked away in an asylum on an island, having been deemed too dangerous to merely imprison. Sasuke's idea of a hero became a policeman. His family had held many famous officers and they had captured the killer of his clan.

All of the high school students graduated, and Shikamaru came back from Suna to teach at Konoha University. Sarutobi Asuma married Yuhi Kurenai and Hatake Kakashi continued to pursue Inuzuka Hana; he never quite understood why she hung out with Shino so much.

Their lives continued and they healed in a way that takes immense amounts of love. And don't even get me started on their lives _after_ college.


End file.
